Empty Graves
by Mrs Spooky
Summary: Post-Requiem, read it to find out! Finally added chapter two, it disappeared a year ago...
1. Chapter One

Empty Graves: Part One

  
Author: Kathleen Anderson (mr_and_mrs_spooky@yahoo.com)  
Rating: Overall R, this part, PG-13  
Spoilers: Requiem for sure, but anything before that is fair game as well.  
Summary: Post-Requiem, we'll see what happens from there!  
Archive: Anywhere  
Feedback: If you feel like writing me and telling me what you think, be my guest  
Obligatory Disclaimer: The characters are not mine, they belong to Chris Carter (and am I the only one who tries to write his first name as Christ??) and 1013 Productions. Oh yeah, and all the mistakes in this are mine....  
  
  


  


Today was one of her rare good days, a day in which she could function like any normal person. She had gotten out of bed when her alarm went off, she ate a well balanced breakfast courtesy of Kellogg's _Special K_ and now she was sitting through a department meeting. Skinner had urged to attend, saying that it was vital at this stage of the game to keep appearances up. Scully had always wondered why the X-Files was considered a department when most of the time they were treated so badly. But, Skinner had told her that she must keep going if she wanted the X-Files to remain open, and she did. She didn't want Mulder to return and find that she had thrown away his life's work. There were some days that she considered calling up Skinner and telling him that the X-Files could go to hell for all she cared, but then she thought about Mulder. The X-Files weren't exactly an active department at the time being, as the powers that be had yet to choose a new partner for Agent Scully, and yet, she still had to sit through the horrible meeting. Men in black suits droned on and on about lack of money, requests for transfers, transfers of funds and to top it all off, the guy across the table was making eyes at her. Scully wondered if the guy knew he was one wink short of being on the receiving end of her hideously over-priced black leather pump. 

The meeting did end and Scully breezed out of the stuffy board room, making a bee-line for the basement. She heard someone following her down the hall, but she did not turn around. 

"Agent Scully" called a familiar voice. She cringed inwardly, Skinner wasn't exactly the first person on her list of people to talk to. But still, she stopped and turned around. 

"What can I do for you sir?" 

"It's more like, what can I do for you Scully. You looked pretty far away in that meeting there, you been okay?" 

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." 

"I know it's hard agent, but keep it up. I've dealt with other agents who have lost their partner, it's a very trying time for even the most stoic. Of course most of the other teams were male/male and neither one of them was..." 

"Was what sir? Pregnant with their partner's child? Is that what you're trying to say? With all due respect here sir, I would like to be treated the way that you treated those men, I don't care if you treated them like shit, but I doubt they received the mollycoddling that I'm getting." 

"I'm sorry Scully, I was under the impression that you wanted support during this time, I guess I'm mistaken." 

Scully watched as Skinner disappeared back down the hall, she sighed. He had been very kind to her during these first few weeks, and she was almost sorry that she'd pushed him away so rudely. She'd been doing that lately, pushing people away. She feared any kind of emotional attachment. She clenched her fists and continued on down to the office. 

This was the one place that reminded her of him that she didn't mind being. She couldn't stand to be in his apartment for longer that necessary and was considering enlisting the gunmen to move the fish tank to her own apartment. But this office, it had become her sanctuary. She had dug through old files and come up with a picture taken of her and Mulder back during the case at the Falls. Of course, the picture had been staged but what it represented was not false. She'd had it framed and placed it on the desk. Sometimes she wished she remembered more of her own abduction so she could sympathize with Mulder. She just prayed he wasn't being harmed and that he would be returned to her soon. 

Every morning when she woke up, she'd think of things that she hoped Mulder would be back in time to see. If she had an appointment with her OB/GYN for an ultrasound in a couple of days, she'd pray that Mulder be returned in time for that. But each event went by without him: her first sonogram, the morning she discovered her pants no longer did up, the day that she did not throw up immediately upon waking up. She'd tried keeping a journal for him to read when he returned but that failed miserabley. She wanted him beside her, she wanted to tell him how she was feeling but she couldn't express her thoughts on paper. She'd never been much of a writer, it was enough to write up cases. She thought back to the journal she'd kept while in Africa, but that was filled with mostly scientific facts and records of conversations than of her feelings for him. 

Scully stretched her arms as she stood up. A quick glance at her watch confirmed what she already knew, it was time to meet her mother for lunch. Her mom had taken up what seemed to be permanent residence in a motel fairly close to Scully's apartment. Scully had offered to let her stay with her, but her mother had politely declined, most likely not wanting to put up with her daughter on full-time basis. Scully had been relieved when her mother declined. Scully sighed and headed for the main doors. 

As she entered the small cafe they had decided upon earlier, she scanned the tables for her mother. Her mom waved her over and Scully sat down with a small thud. 

"Hard day?" her mom politely inquired. 

Scully raised an eyebrow, "no, not really. I had a department meeting and then a brief run-in with Skinner." 

"I know, Skinner called me." 

"Why?" 

"Honey, he's worried about you. I think he wants to you take some time off." 

"Do you think I need to take time off?" 

"I think you need closure honey, that's what you need. Have you given any thought to a memorial service?" 

"Mom! He's not dead!" 

"Sweetie, he's been gone for over a month and there's been no sign of him. I think you should talk to Skinner about planning a memorial service and we can look into getting a headstone." 

Scully was apalled at her mother's blatant suggestion that Mulder was dead. She had thought about a memorial service during her early stages of grief, but didn't see a point until there was concrete proof that he was dead, proof undeniable. 

"No Mom", she said a little louder that she had intended, "I will not plan a service and I will not look into getting a headstone. Mulder is not dead!" 

"Eat your soup dear, it's getting cold." 

Scully wondered if her mother knew she was also one remark short of being on the receiving end of her hideously over-priced black leather pumps. 

So much for this being one of her good days. Scully opted to go home after lunch and call in at the bureau as being sick. She knew no one would dispute her claim and she did not want to deal with anyone else today who might potentially piss her off, Skinner and her mother had been bad enough. A headstone for Mulder, she didn't even want to contemplate that. In her mind's eye she could see herself standing in front of the uncaring grey slab, holding a bunch of flowers in one hand and a baby in the other. She would read the words engraved upon it and feel a tear trickle down her cheek. Her baby would cry and she would try to soothe him/her, telling him/her that this was daddy's grave but daddy was not down there. Definitely not a scenario she wanted to come true. 

Scully eyed her bathtub approvingly. A nice warm bath was just what she needed right now. She began to run the water and added some vanilla scented salts to the water. Her OB/GYN had told her that taking baths to relieve stress was good for the baby and Scully wasn't about to dispute her. She took off her clothes and as usual regarded herself in the mirror. Her breasts were larger than they had been and she wished Mulder could see them now, no doubt he would have some smart-ass comment on them. Her stomach, no longer flat was swelling slightly. She ran her hands over that slight roundness and closed her eyes. She could pretend her hands were Mulder's, caressing the baby. Those hands would gently make their way up to her breasts and then down again to touch her where she craved his touch the most. His lips would be pressing against her neck, her back, his breath caught in her hair. 

Scully shook off the fantasy and stepped into the water. She sunk down until just her head was visible and she just sat there. She tried to make her mind blank, to remove all thoughts of Mulder from it. Tomorrow she would look into purchasing one of those relaxation cds, the ones with the babbling brook, the waves crashing on the shore, the birds chirping in the woods. Then she could light a few candles, run a bath, pop in the cd and prepare to become stress-free-Scully instead of bugger-off-or- I'll-bitch-slap-you-Scully. 

Scully fairly nearly jumped out of the water when she heard a loud knocking on her door, interrupting her pleasant reverie filled with a naked Mulder, a bottle of wine and strangly enough a babbling brook. She heaved herself out of the water and wrapped a towel around herself. Whoever was at her door was either knocking for the first time and found it unendingly intriguing or was very eager to see her. She flung open the door and saw Frohike standing before her, his hand raised in a near knock. Frohike took one look at the towel clad Scully and fainted. 

"Frohike!" exclaimed Scully, as she bent over to look at him. Had Frohike been conscious he would have received a rather unintentional peep show. 

Scully tapped his shoulders a few times and slapped his face once or twice and Frohike regained consciousness. 

"Scully! Er, uh, sorry about that. You have to get dressed now and pack a bag, we have to go somewhere. The guys are waiting in the van downstairs." 

Scully turned for her room, trusting that if this was important enough to get the gunmen out of the house, it was important enough for her to come. Frohike tried to follow, but Scully put her hand up to stop him. The guy could be a total sweetheart one moment and in the next a total pervert. 

A few minutes later, Scully was fully clothed and sitting the van surrounding by the anxious guys. It turned out they had received word of some unexplained activity in the skies above Bellefleur, Oregon and thinking immediately about Mulder had gone to get Scully. Scully was on her cellphone getting in touch with Skinner, who had said he would meet them at the airport. Scully knew the Lone Gunmen must be sure about this lead for them to be willing to fly out to Oregon on a standard American AirLines flight. They had hacked the mainframe of the airlines and put in a request for 5 tickets, they knew Skinner would be accompanying them. Scully hung up with Skinner and dialed the number for her mother's hotel. 

Another hour later, the gunmen van pulled up in front of the airport. Scully, Langly and Frohike hopped out with the luggage and Byers went to park the van in the overnight parking lot. The trio went to check their luggage and as they were doing that, Skinner approached them. Scully wondered how Skinner could have gotten there so fast, but didn't dare question it. Skinner had only a tiny duffle bag which he declined to check in saying that he would check it as carry-on. 

Scully allowed herself only a tiny glimmer of hope that this expedition might lead to the recovery of Mulder. She had gotten her hopes once before and the depression which followed was all consuming. She tried to remain as blank faced and composed as Skinner. 

Soon it was announced that their plane was boarding and as they make their way through the gate, Scully tried to explain to Skinner her earlier actions. Skinner merely dismissed her with a nod and an "it's okay agent Scully, you've gone through a lot, we all have." The plane was boarded and soon Scully was tightly gripping her armrest, missing Mulder's familiar comforting as the plane took off. Soon, she hoped, he would be back beside her in the seat. If only he could pull himself out of his empty grave.   


END PART ONE


	2. Chapter Two

Empty Graves...Continued

  
  
  


The plane bumped along the runway and Scully sat amazed by the fact that they had landed safely. The weather during the flight had been anything but comforting. She hoped that this wasn't a sign of things to come. Beside her, Byers was also breathing a sigh of relief and began to undo his seatbelt, Scully followed suit. The intercom asked that all passengers requiring assistance please wait until all the other passengers had exited the plane and Scully, with her almost too full bladder figured she almost required assistance getting off this flying hunk of metal. The in-flight turbulence had kept her in her seat while she nursed several orange juices, which turned out to be a giant mistake. 

Scully felt someone grab her arm and begin to lead her off the plane. She realized it was Skinner, and almost told him to stop, leading her off the plane was supposed to be Mulder's job. Mulder would always usher her off a flight, knowing how queasy flying made her feel. Then once they were off the plane, he would sit her down on a bench while he retrieved the luggage with one of those really cool airport carts. Scully briefly wondered if Skinner would do the same thing, maybe Mulder had left notes on the proper procedure of escorting Scully in various situations. 

Once they were through the gate, Scully made excellent time to the ladies room. As she was running off, she heard the guys mumbling something about claiming the baggage, but she couldn't care less, her mind was set on the sweet relief of a toilet. Another downside to her pregnancy, as Scully had realized, was the almost incessant urge to go the bathroom. Her mom had joked that if they were ever going to make a long car-trip anywhere she would have to look into renting a port-o-potty to put in the backseat. Scully had shot her mother a withering look but decided it might not be such a bad idea. Her mom had been just full of great ideas since she'd found out her daughter was pregnant and Mulder was apparently in outerspace. Scully knew her mother prefered to think otherwise, that Mulder was simply AWOL and could easily be found, which was probably why she figured that a memorial service would be a good idea. If Mulder had any means of coming back, and he hadn't already, he was probably never going to come back, and to Margaret Scully, Fox Mulder had ceased to exist. Scully didn't know that her mom had suggested a service as much for her own benefit as for her daughter. 

When Scully emerged from the ladies room, feeling much relieved, she saw her entourage waiting to escort her to the, no doubt, waiting private chartered vehicle. Skinner could easily pull rank and get whatever he wanted or needed, and in this situation a simple taxi cab would not do. As they exited the terminal through the sliding glass doors, Scully was not in the least surprised to see a vehicle with darkly tinted windows waiting. Skinner opened the door for her, and she slid in, followed by the gunmen, who by the looks on their faces, thought this was really cool. Skinner sat up front with the driver and told him where to go. Soon Skinner turned around to face her. 

"I have arranged for us to check into a motel and then from there we will proceed to the site of Mulder's disappearance." Scully noticed that Skinner had opted not to use the word abduction. Though, true to his word, he did not deny what he saw, he was still having difficulty accepting that Mulder had been taken by unearthly beings. 

"What motel sir?" 

"The Creekside Moter Inn, Scully. I had the guys here check it out a few weeks ago in case we were ever called here. It appears to be safe." 

"And it's got modem hookups!" added Langly. 

Scully gave a smile small and suddenly noticed her fatigue. Skinner apparently noticed it too because he offered to let Scully have a rest before they proceeded to the site. Scully turned him down, saying that they needed time to set up the necessary equipment. She wished this could be a simple procedure, with the alien ship hovering above the ground, a ramp let down by which the abductees walk off, and she would be standing there, waiting for any sign of him. She would immediately recognize his lanky form and run for him. Mulder would take her into his arms, whisper how much he had missed her into her ear and ask if she was alright. But she knew that there was a very good possibility that this lead, like the others would turn out to be nothing and if it did amount to something, there was no guarantee that Mulder would be dropped off at her feet. If that was the case, Skinner and Frohike were prepared to do some serious bushwacking to get to him. 

The vehicle came to a smooth stop and Skinner hopped out to let the backseat passengers out. Scully looked around for any sign of the suggested creek but found none. If Mulder were here he would suggest launching an investigation into the disappearance of the creek. Ever the gentleman, Byers carried Scully's bags for her as Skinner went to check in at the office. He had obviously pulled rank here as well because each of them had their own room right next to each other. Despite the fact that it was September, normally not a high tourist month, the town of Bellefleur was holding it's annual fall fair which was famous across the state for it's agricultural products, hence it tended to draw a large crowd. 

Scully was allowed to put her bags in her room and to freshen up before the group headed out again. She walked into the room and set her bags down on the bed. The bathroom was calling her (again) but she wanted to change her clothes, sitting on a plane for the better part of the day did nothing for her attire. Pulling a pair of jeans and a slightly oversize shirt from her bags, she put them on. She supposed that, at one time or another, the shirt had been Mulder's, but it had been in her wardrobe for so long now that she couldn't remember. After using the toilet again, she was ready to join the guys out at the car which had patiently waited for them. 

"Do you have a jacket and gloves Agent?" inquired Skinner. 

"Why?" 

"It gets pretty chilly out in the woods Scully, I don't know how long we're going to be there." 

"I didn't even think to bring gloves as I wasn't told where I was going until after I was out the door, but I do have a jacket in one of my bags." 

"I suggest you get it then, let me know if your hands get too cold, you can borrow my gloves." 

Scully sighed and went back to her room to retrieve her jacket, obviously Skinner was planning some major overnight expedition into the woods. She wouldn't be surprised if the back of that car contained a small gas stove along with a couple tents and air mattresses.She knew the gunmen had brought along their laptops and several backup batteries, and she felt ill prepared for this expedition. She could always blame it on Frohike, he didn't tell her where they were going, he just insisted she go pack. Now if Mulder had been the one at her door, he would have told where they were going and suggested she pack gloves, a heavy jacket, a flashlight, hell, he'd probably even suggest toilet paper! 

Scully grabbed her lightweight jacket from the bag and headed back to the car. In a matter of seconds, everyone was secured and ready to go. Scully felt her stomach flip-flop as the car travelled the now familiar road towards the crashsite. They passed the "X" on the road and the car came to another smooth stop. Scully got out and went over to the "X", she knelt down and traced the paint with her finger. She felt tears come to her eyes and she straightened up and attempted to calm herself down, there was no need to get all teary eyed over some paint on the road. She remember the day, 5 months ago when she and Mulder had discovered the "X" and realized this was the same place as their first case together 7 years earlier. 

It had been a rough couple days with dealing that damn auditor. She wasn't surprised at all that Mulder had punched the guy, she would have herself if she hadn't been..well if she hadn't been so damn nice. The phone had rang and it turned out to be Billy Miles, as much as she hated to do so, she knew she and Mulder had to go waste some more money. They had arrived there and Mulder had later told her that he had suspected the crash site would be located near his "X". It was later that day that she had began to feel chills and dizziness. She at first chocked it up to left over sickness from the flight in, but laying down did not help. As she had been during the first case, she was scared and went to Mulder, though this time she really had no intentions of showing him her undergarments. After all, he'd already gotten up close and personal with them several times before. Mulder had said very few words when she came to him, he just offered her the covers and then laid down with her, pressing his body up against the length of hers. It was then that he became uncharacteristically vocal. 

He whispered to her about what she had lost, as if she needed reminding. She knew he felt responsible for all that had happened, but for some reason what he was saying that night, it made her sad rather than angry. She accepted his words and accepted his offer to stay the night. 

"Stay with me Scully" She had heard that before, the night that she had fallen asleep on his couch after he returned from England. She had woken up later that night and was heading for the bathroom to prepare to go for home. She had inadvertantly woken Mulder up and he looked at her and asked her to stay. One look into those deep hazel pools of his and she was hypnotized. She did use the bathroom but then joined him the bed. She wasn't sure who had made the first move, or whether is had been on some unknown level of communication that they had agreed to this and moved simultaneously. Mulder's hand moved along the length of her back and she pressed her body hard up against his. His breath had tickled her skin as he let his mouth take over the duties of his hand. His mouth moved across her chest, trailing along the contours of her breasts before making its way to meet hers. Their first "real" kiss, it had been wonderful, she found herself swept away in the moment and thought of only him, only of his tongue tracing her bottom lip. 

It had been wonderful to be with him, to really be with him. She's almost regretted leaving before he woke up the next morning. She wanted her face to be the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes. But she had to change her clothes and arrive at work as if nothing had happened between them. When Mulder walked into that office roughly 5 minutes after her, he swept her up into his arms and kissed her. Obviously what had happened was not making him uncomfortable being around her. Once they took their relationship to the next level, spending the night together became almost routine. One case away from home lead to another and eventually took them back to Bellefleur. 

As Mulder lay there next to her, Scully had thought about how surreal her entire life had become. She felt almost as if she was watching the tender moment on television rather than living it. Mulder kissed her cheek and things immediately became real again. His hand near her face was very real, and she felt compelled to take it in her own hand. As she put his hand up to her lips, Mulder whispered in her ear, "Stay with me Scully" 

"Agent Scully? Agent Scully you still with us??" Skinner's voice was very insistent. 

"Yes sir, I was just thinking...are we ready to proceed?" 

"Affirmative Scully, you sure you're up to this?" 

Scully briefly thought, *up to possibly seeing my baby's father again?* 

"I'm sure sir, let's get going." 

The party of five moved through the forest. Scully didn't know what the men were looking for and quite frankly she didn't think they really knew either. She supposed it might be lights in the sky or perhaps an energy field such as the one she'd encountered in May. If that was the case she didn't want to get anywhere near it. She considered asking Skinner or one of the gunmen just what exactly they expected to find but then again, maybe she just wanted to be surprised. Instictively she knew when they reached the spot, she could just feel it and she sensed that Skinner knew as well. Skinner ordered the gunmen to halt and they got busy setting up the various monitoring devices. Skinner walked around the perimeter of the small clearing holding a small radioactivity meter. Scully, not knowing totally what to do sat down and searched the sky. 

"There's no signs of increased radioactivity" reported Skinner. 

"Is that a good or a bad sign?" queried Scully. 

"Personally, I don't think it's a sign at all. Although extraterrestrial activity is usually accompanied by increased radiation, there is no solid proof that it must be" 

"I see..is there anything I could do to help?" Scully desperately wanted to be useful. 

"I don't think so..just sit tight and we'll see what happens. If you get too cold, my gloves and an extra jacket are in that bag over there" 

Scully knew why Skinner had brought along an extra jacket, it was for Mulder. She got it out of the bag even though she wasn't cold. She wanted to have it in her hands ready to put around him. She sat back down again and tried to get comfortable on the hard ground. As if in response to the unfavourable conditions, her baby gave a small kick. Scully put her hand on her belly and gently rubbed it. 

Scully guessed she'd fallen asleep somewhere along the line because when she became aware of her surroundings she realized she had a blanket thrown over her. The air was chilly and she was shivering despite the woolen blanket and jacket. Skinner noticed her and came over to her. 

"No sign of anything yet Scully, it's still early though. Are you cold?" 

"I'm fine sir. What time is it?" 

"About 2:30...do you want something to eat?" 

In response Scully's stomach let out an unlady-like growl and Skinner went off in search of some food. Scully wondered why Skinner assumed the aliens would only drop off their abductees during the night. Skinner returned bearing a ham and cheese sandwich along with a small juice box. Scully unwrapped her sandwich and munched away on it. She placed the extra jacket in her lap again and while she ate, she scanned the skies. 

Just as Scully was polishing off the last crumbs of the sandwich, Langly came barreling into the clearing. From what Scully could see his hair was filled with bits of twigs and leaves, she guessed he's climbed a tree to better see the sky. 

"Skinner, Scully!! I see something!" 

Skinner dropped his book and Scully threw aside the plastic sandwich wrap and juice box and stood up, clutching the extra jacket. Scully turned a full circle, staring at the sky. She was about to say that she saw nothing save the stars and moon when a bright light came into view, obviously moving towards earth. Her heart began pounding and her hands became sweaty despite the crisp air. 

The object in the sky dropped closer to earth and began shining what could almost be called a search light on the woods. The beam of white light swept the clearing, temporarily blinding the occupants. When Scully regained her vision, the bright light was gone. Scully looked around anxiously, half expecting to see Mulder walking towards her. Instead, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe the aliens had detected human presence and decided not to return the abductees. Maybe Mulder would only be returned if no one was looking. Scully felt her heart sink and numbly felt Skinner's hand on her back. She looked down at the jacket she had clutched in her hand and saw a tear fall on it. 

From behind them there was a small crackling of dead branches being trod upon. Skinner figured it was a bear and drew his gun. Scully was too numb to make any move. From the shadows of the woods emerged a woman Scully barely recognized as being Teresa Hoese. Suddenly her limbs became movable again and she ran past Teresa. Skinner tried to stop her, but Scully barely heard him. She clutched the jacket tightly and scanned the area for his familiar form. 

He was there. Amidst the confusion she saw him, standing there, taking in his surroundings. Tears were streaming freely down her cheeks as she made her way towards him. He turned in her direction and he saw her. Scully approached him slowly, almost tentatively. She stepped up to him and placed the jacket around his shoulders. He grabbed her and hugged her fiercely. His own tears mingled with hers and they stood there locked in a tight embrace. Skinner, who was attempting to round up the remaining abductees saw her standing there with him and smiled. 

Mulder pulled back away from Scully and looked at her. The jacket she was wearing could not conceal the change in her appearance. Mulder had previously known every curve on this woman's body and now it appeared there was more. Scully saw his gaze and took his hand. She placed it on her belly and Mulder looked at her with wonderment in his eyes. 

"The vertigo Scully..this...this...." 

"Our baby Mulder...she won't have to see an empty grave." 

"She? Scully...a baby..I..I..." 

"Shhh..Mulder. We'll talk." 


End file.
